Unloading machine



w. INMAN 8 ,958

UNLOADING MACHINE Filed sein. 20, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

x- 1945- w. v. lNMAN 1 2,381,958

' UN'LOADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 20, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

YTTORIVE V6.

Patented Aug. 14, 1945 ..-Walte r Inman, Obibn, assignor of one- 2 half to Margaret, Inman Wood, Memphis,

Tenn.

Application September The device forming the subject matterof this application is, adapted tobe employedfor unloading'sandand other similar materials from a gondola, railroad car into a truck disposed at one side of therailroad car. The invention aims to provide novel meansaf-or elevating the sand or other material in the car, carrying it laterally, anddepositing it'in the truck. The inven-.

I tion aims, further, to provide novel mechanisms for driving those parts which need actuation. A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for moving the device longitudinally of the railroad car as the sand is taken'out of the car. I

Within the scope of I what is claimed, the structure described andshown maybe changed, without departing from'the spirit of the invention. I

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows in top plan, a device constructed in. accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detailed view showing a portion of the means whereby the conveying mechanism is moved longitudinally of the car.

In the drawings, the forward end of the railway car- I is designated by the letter A, the rear end thereof being marked by the letter 'B.

. The numeral I designates a railway car of the gondola type. A carriageC is mounted to move 20, 1944, Serial No. 554,957

.2 Claims, (01. 2 14-44) different depths. The lower ends of the links extensible construction, in order that. .the mechanism may be adjusted to gondola cars of I2 carry forks I6, wherein axles I4 are mounted, sprocket wheels I5 being rotatably carried by the-axles, within the forks, Sprocket'wheels H are secured to the transverse conveyor shaft 6. Depending endless conveyors I8 are carried by the sprocket wheels I5 and I1,- and extend downwardly into the car I to places'closely adjacent to the bottpm of the car. The specific form of the conveyors I8 is a manufacturers choice.

Longitudinal conveyor shafts, 20 are joumaled in the end members 3 and in bearings 2I on the rear portions of the guides 2. Worm wheels 22 '24, about which is engaged a transversely operating belt conveyor 25.

As to the operation of the structure thus far described, the wheel I0, driven by the engine- (not shown) of the trunk II operates the sprocket chain 8 through the instrumentality of the sprocket wheel 9, rotation being imparted to the shaft 6 by way of the sprocket wheel When the shaft 6 is rotated, as aforesaid, the endless conveyors I8 will acquire sand or other material from the car I and carry it upwardly, the

' sand being cast rearwardly upon the transverse longitudinally of the box-like body of the car' I and includes inverted trough shaped guides 2, carried slidably 0n the upper edges of the side walls of the car body. Hollow end members 3 are secured to the forward portions of the guides 2. I

As shown in Figure 2, upstanding brackets 4 are secured to the rear portions of the guides 2, a baffie plate 5 being mounted fixedly onthe brackets 4 and extending transversely of the car I. A transverse conveyor shaft 6 is journaled in the end members 3 of the carriage C. To one end of the conveyor shaft 6, a sprocket wheel I is secured. The sprocket wheel I is engaged by a depending sprocket chain 8, engaged detachably with-a sprocket wheel 9, secured to the ground wheel ID of a truck II located along side the car I, the rear end of the truck being jacked dicated at I9, the links being of longitudinal conveyor shafts 20, by way of the worms 23 belt conveyor 25, or against the baffle plate- 5, which returns the material to the conveyor;

From the shaft 6, rotation is imparted to the and the worm wheels 22, the conveyor 25 being actuated to carry the material laterally and deposit it in a chute 26, supported on the car I and on the truck II and discharging into the truck.

From the foregoing it will be evident that means is provided whereby the material in the car I may be gathered up and discharged into truck II.

As the material is carried out of the car I, it

drums 29 secured to a transverse shaft 30 journaled bearings 3|, the bearings including clamp- By swinging the handle 35 to and fro, rotation is imparted to the ratchet wheel 33 by way of the pawl 36, rotation is imparted to shaft 30, the drums 29 are rotated, the flexible elements 21 are wound about the drums, and the carriage C is advanced, to the end that the depending conveyors I8 may obtain a new hold on the material within the car I.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is simple in construction, but it will.

be found thoroughly advantageous for the ends in view. "The construction is such that the meche anism may be removed from the car I and be transported readily to another car, as occasion may require.

I claim:

l. Unloading mechanism comprising a carriage including approximately parallel guides constituting .means whereby the carriage may be mounted on a car for movement therealong, end

members carried by the guides, a transverse operating shaft journaled in the end members, a depending endless conveyor carried by and operated by the shaft, a transverse conveyor receiving material from the endless conveyor and disposed approximately parallel to the shaft, a baffie forming a connection between the guides, the baflle being disposed outwardly of the transverse conveyor and forming means for depositing on the transverse conveyor, material which may have been discharged on the baffie by the endless conveyor, the bafile being disposed approximately parallel to the shaft, and means for operating the shaft, the shaft and the baflle cooperating to maintain the guides in approximately parallellSm.

2. Unloading mechanism constructed as set forth in claim 1, in combination with means for moving the carriage, said means comprising spaced bearings, means for mounting the bearings removably and individually on a car, a shaft journaled in the bearings, drums secured to the shaft and, received in the bearings, flexible elements attached to the end portions of the carriage and wound about the drums, and manually operable means for rotating the last specified shaft..

WALTER V. INMAN. 

